Sounds more like its your in/out button assembly, try cleaning it if you can open it
winch troubleshoot
Just recently replaced the motor on my warn winch on my 2013 outlander 800. After I replaced the motor I tested it off my truck battery and it works perfect both directions but...
Now that I put it back in the quad I can't get it to work again. I suspect that it is the contactor box that is the issue but want to know what you guys think before I buy one. So first off when I push my winch button I get no clicking at all, and usually those contactors make a pretty distinct click sound if I remember correctly. I took a test light and I have power at the red wire at the contactor that comes from the battery. I also have power at both terminals on the winch(blue and yellow wires). When testing the one terminal on the winch with my test light it caused the winch to start but I don't know what this means(doesn't do it on the other terminal). The ground on the contactor looks like it is in good shape. So what do you guys think?
I had emailed Warn about the issue also and they replied saying if the contactor was bad then the winch would only turn in one direction, but I cant get it to turn at all so I don't know if that is correct. Oh and all fuses are good.
Now that I put it back in the quad I can't get it to work again. I suspect that it is the contactor box that is the issue but want to know what you guys think before I buy one. So first off when I push my winch button I get no clicking at all, and usually those contactors make a pretty distinct click sound if I remember correctly. I took a test light and I have power at the red wire at the contactor that comes from the battery. I also have power at both terminals on the winch(blue and yellow wires). When testing the one terminal on the winch with my test light it caused the winch to start but I don't know what this means(doesn't do it on the other terminal). The ground on the contactor looks like it is in good shape. So what do you guys think?
I had emailed Warn about the issue also and they replied saying if the contactor was bad then the winch would only turn in one direction, but I cant get it to turn at all so I don't know if that is correct. Oh and all fuses are good.
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I will take a look at that to. Thanks.
Wasn't that. Not even a spec of dirt in there ha. I tried the external remote also and the chances of both of those switches being bad is pretty slim I think.
You might have a bad ground, take a test light to the connections.
It was the contactor that was faulty. Got one from a buddy and tried it. So im not sure what the Warn service guy was talking about but oh well problem solved.
I found the Can Am winch to be under sized after using my new snow plow 1 day. So I bought a SuperWinch 3500. Snow plow all winter w no issues.
Idk i've pulled quite a bit with my 3,000lb winch(stuck maverick, dry they weigh like 1,270lbs). I dont see how lifting a plow would say a whole lot. Also has to do with the gear ratio. Mine lifted my 60in plow just fine 
I had an issue with a Warn contactor. There is a coil of wire that looks like a spring under the cap. It's soldered down on the bottom. I stretched it out just a bit so it made better contact and my winch works just fine again.
I had thought about putting a bigger winch on but for the most part this winch does just fine. It pulls a quad out no problem and usually a side by side also depending on the situation. Half the time the winch is pulling my quad forward anyways so a bigger winch wouldnt help ha. To burn it out I pushed it to the limits that is for sure so it was my fault really but I didnt have a choice. Had 5 guys holding my quad back and it was slowly dragging the side by side back(did not help that the side by side kept sinking further and further and was pushing a wall of skeg). It didnt actually die until we were reeling the winch back up. Not exactly sure why the contactor and the winch failed though. I think I will open up my old contactor and see if I can fix it so I have a spare, maybe it is the same issue as Dr_Z had.
The heavier the load, the higher the current. Also the longer you pull that higher current through the contactor contacts, the hotter they get, BTW, contacts don't like heat, tends to degrade the contact surfaces faster. Also, the higher current also heats up the winch motor, again, not a good thing as winches use permanent magnets which tend to de-magnetize when heated. That must be why Warn recommends resting the winch every so often, basically, use it fr a minute, rest it for 10. LOL, like that's going to happen in the real world.
AND....the quality of the warn contactor may be not so great as many people on here have reported issues with their factory installed winch contactors.
AND....the quality of the warn contactor may be not so great as many people on here have reported issues with their factory installed winch contactors.
I tried winching out a wildcat with the 3000 pro-vantage that comes with the XT, it bogged it right down to nothing, like very quick. I thought that seemed strange, are these kind of weak winches?
3,000 lb winch only pulls 3,000 lbs on the first layer on the drum, each successive layer has reduced pulling power. Should carry a snatch block to double the pulling power.
Thread locker (i.e. Loctite) on the contactor nuts. I had endless problems with my winch until I figured that part out.
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